But her mind had been left behind, lingering on another sentence Sedrak had uttered.
The king’s bride.
Sedrak pulled Leola close to his body, and she sank against his chest, into his musky scent, the strength of his arms. “Leola,” he said, stroking her hair. “All shall be as I told you. We are to marry after I speak to your uncle. Dorva and the others will see the wisdom of our marriage in time. Until then, I am king, and I remain with the approval of my uncle. They shall obey my orders.”
His words soothed her, and the feel of his strength and the scent of his body began to stir her desire again. She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.
She pressed her mouth to his, and felt swallowed by the warmth of his lips. Her body seemed detached from her mind, wanting without thinking at all, and she climbed onto his lap, clinging to him, pressing her body close to his.
Against her inner thigh, she could feel his manhood stirring to life, pulsing. Her hands moved beneath his furs and tunic, seeking out the heat of his body, wanting to feel for herself that he was hers, wanting him to at last be inside of her, his cock deep within her body.
He responded at first, his hands moving to her waist, his cock getting hard against her thigh.
But suddenly he gripped her by both arms and pushed her away, holding her a few feet before him, even as she wriggled and tried to get close to him.
“Leola,” he breathed, and his voice was ragged. “Leola, stop, please. I have… made a promise. Do not tempt me to break it!”
“If I make you break it,” Leola said, keenly aware of what she was doing to him now, and wanting very much to push him to his limits, until he broke whatever promise kept him from her now, “you shall have to punish me.”
For a moment his eyes burned, and he squeezed her arms tightly. He closed his eyes slowly. “By gods, woman,” he said. He opened his eyes. “You shall be punished, temptress.” He smiled. “But I will not break my promise. You will go back to your tent, and I shall not have you until we are wed.”
Leola wriggled, but she was unable to move toward him or get out of his iron grip. “But… I want you,” she said.
Sedrak shook his head. “I want to take you, Leola Grace, more than anything. And I shall. But not tonight.”
“At least… let me stay here,” she said. “I am afraid.”
Sedrak smiled. “I cannot keep you here, pet. You are too great a temptation.” He released her arms, caught her wrists in one hand, and drew a line from her throat to the fabric that had bunched over her pussy, where his fingers lingered. “But when I do have you, I can promise you that first you shall be punished for your disobedience, and for torturing me.”
Between her legs, Leola’s pussy welled up, turning to hot liquid at the promise. She could almost feel the sting of his hand on her bottom, imagine the fullness of his body inside of her. She gasped lightly.
“Now. Off you go, or I shall have Barval tie you up, or put you in a cage.” He pushed a strand of loose hair tenderly behind her ear. “That’s no place for my bride, but I shall do it.”
“I will be good,” Leola breathed.
Sedrak brushed his lips over hers. “It is too late to escape some punishments, my pet. But if you go now and sleep in your tent, I shall reward you after I discipline you.”
Leola smiled.
“I will take you there myself. And post a guard who does not sleep,” Sedrak said, rising to his feet, pulling her with him by the wrists.
As he left her in the tent he leaned close to her ear. A growth of stubbly beard scraped her cheek, and she almost felt the same ecstasy as when he had made her come nights before.
“If you cannot bear it, my love, you may touch yourself to tide you over. But I will have you in three days’ time, and then I shall have you until you cannot walk, and fill your belly with my child.”
The night was long, and Leola barely slept. Tortured by her desires, her body at a feverish pitch, she slipped her fingers to her pussy, and felt for the places Sedrak had touched. When she found them, she moved her fingers the way he had moved his tongue.
It was not as intoxicating, but it allowed her to rest, her brow and neck sweaty, with thoughts of Sedrak, until at last she fell asleep.
They traveled for nearly three days, at a fast pace, in order to reach the Southern lands and make camp, far from Ryken’s castle. Sedrak brought her to his tent to dine each night, but sent her away to her own tent, no matter how she made his eyes burn or attempted to lure him to her.
After the camp in Southern lands had been made, Sedrak brought together a cadre of warriors, and Leola, to sup and make plans to approach Ryken’s castle.
“The Southerner is a man of no honor, my lord,” said the gray-haired warrior. “I cannot recommend an approach, for I believe this is a mistake.”
Sedrak glared at the warrior, but said nothing. He turned to Leola. “Egan speaks out of turn, but he is an old and trusted friend, so I shall not cut out his tongue.”
Leola shuddered, but she realized, as the men around her laughed, that the comment was made in good jest. She had misjudged Sedrak’s ability to sway his men, and their loyalty to him.
“He is your uncle,” Sedrak continued. “And Egan speaks wisely; he has been ruthless in his raids. He was humiliated by our soldiers, and he believes that we have
